Picking out chandeliers? What not to do!

Picking out chandeliers? What not to do!

Mounted fixtures don't just add light to a room; they are more like works of art, bringing beauty and personality into your home. Unlike lamps that you can move around, chandeliers and sconces are more permanent, so proper placement is necessary for them to work well and look good. Consider scale too. A too-small fixture will look lost; one that's too large will overpower a space. You'll probably hire an electrician to do the work, so you want to avoid a costly mistake. Follow these tips for shopping and hanging success.
 
Chandeliers: For a dining room, a chandelier should hang above the center of your table. If the electrical connection in your ceiling doesn't work with your table's center, add a heavy-duty decorative hook in the ceiling above the center of your table, and then attach a length of chain to carry the wiring from the electrical connection to the hook.

In general for 8- to 9-foot ceilings, the bottom of your chandelier should be between 30 and 33 inches above the tabletop.

Chandeliers for other rooms should be placed higher than 8 feet above the floor in the middle of the room or foyer for safety and style.

Sconces: These should be hung so that the light source is at or just above eye level. You don't want to be able to look down into a sconce and see its inner mechanism. In a room with very tall ceilings, it is appropriate to place them a little higher.

Also consider traffic in the room. Don't allow a sconce to extend so far from the wall that people risk knocking into it when walking by. To avoid seeing a tangle of unattractive electrical cords, have an electrician install the wiring into the wall.

SHOPPING TIPS

* Size: When selecting a dining room chandelier, scale is important. You don't want the fixture to dominate a table or look too dinky. Take width and length measurements (or the diameter for a round table) with you when shopping. Subtract 12 inches from your table's width (or diameter), and the result is an appropriately sized fixture.

A small sconce will look lost on a long wall, so choose a complementary shape and size for the best display. For example, if your walls are tall, choose a long, vertical sconce.

* Style: Times have changed when it comes to light fixtures. You don't have to match your table and your chandelier. If you have a traditional dining room table, it's perfectly fine to add a drum shade chandelier to give the room flair. Likewise, more streamlined polished nickel sconces will update a Federal-style mantel.
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